Grant a Child's Wish

“It's not how much we give but how much love we put into
giving.” - Mother Teresa

Make A Wish: The Joy of Giving

“Make
A Wish” is an annual initiative organised by ExpatLife India, a Bangalore-based organization composed of expats and global Indians. Hundreds of our members, together with our friends and family members, grant the wishes of underprivileged children from selected orphanages and non-government organisations.

From December 2012 to date, we had granted the wishes of at least 1,400 orphans and underprivileged Indian children through this initiative.

How It Works

We distribute blank wish cards and ask these poor children to write down their wishes, apart from the basic necessities which their caregivers provide them. These kids do not really ask for anything lavish. Their wishes would range from sleeping mats, to blankets, toys, clothes, shoes, school bags, books and musical instruments, to name a few.

This initiative concludes every first week of December with the “Make A Wish Children’s Carnival,” a special gifts turnover programme. For the past three years, Royal Orchid Hotel on Old Airport Road had been our venue sponsor. This year 2016, VR Bengaluru is happy to be our new venue sponsor. Together with their vendors, VR will treat the kids with food, games and entertainment. The sponsors from ExpatLife India and their own children (if they have) would be invited to personally hand the gifts to the child beneficiaries.

The Joy of Giving

Sponsors attest that it’s a heartwarming experience when they witness the surprise and delight on the kids' faces when they unwrap their gifts!

"I did not really believe they would give me a guitar but I have always dreamed of having one, so that's what I wrote on the wish card. And my sponsor actually gave me one! They were not joking!" a 12- year-old boy happily shares.We asked one girl why did she ask for a luggage bag. She explained, "The orphanage does not have enough cabinet space for all of us to keep our clothes. Now I have my own luggage bag where I can keep my clothes." An American couple who sponsored five children in 2012 share their family's experience: "It was a great way to teach our five-year-old son the value of helping others. He asked me a lot of questions about the poor children. He realised that he has everything he needs, while other children have nothing." The experience was so fulfilling that the couple sponsored 17 children in 2013. They happily reminisced that those were one of their “most special and memorable days in India”. "My two daughters were so excited to shop for gifts for the 10 children we sponsored last year. We stayed up the whole night wrapping the gifts, but they enjoyed it so much. It’s a great way to teach our children how to care for the needy," shares an Indian mother from London.

An Invitation to Grant A WishThis year, we are
gathering the wishes of 350 underprivileged
children from 4 NGOs in Bangalore:

Help us put a smile on their lips by sponsoring the wishes of at
least one child. Please email us at expatlife.in@gmail.com
and tell us how many children you would like to sponsor.
We will courier or email to you the child's wish card
and photo. Then you can personally meet the kids on the
11th of December 2016, 1pm in VR Bengaluru where we will hold the "Make A Wish Kids' Carnival".

How else can you help?
• You can volunteer to help us during the programme.
• Sponsor a bus that will transport the kids to the
venue
• Help us get corporate sponsors who can give a generic
gift (apart from the individual gifts) for all the kids,
like toiletry kit, towels, school supplies, candies and
chocolates.

Please invite your other friends to join us in this
initiative. We thank you in advance for sharing the joy
of giving.

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things
with great love.”